“I am here to say that I want to further the economic partnership that should exist between the State of Osun and Lagos State. Yes, we have Lake Rice, yes we have a partnership with Kebbi State but the economic integration and food security of the south west remains in the vineyard of Osun and other states that surround Lagos.
“Obviously, we have the consumer strength of the market, we have the commerce but we must integrate backward towards the south west and ensure that the economic prowess of the regional integration that we set out to achieve is put in place for generations yet unborn.
He stressed that Governor Aregbesola should continue to champion the regional integration of the south west because it holds the future prosperity of the Yoruba nation.
” I commit myself to that vision. I also commit myself to the vision of the south west governors to the effect that time has come for us to stand up as leaders for our people,” Governor Ambode said.
Aregbesola described Ambode as the Governor General of Nigeria owing to the position of Lagos as the economic nerve centre of the country and his brilliant performance
Lagos state is the hub of the country’s economy with the size of the economies of 30 states put together.
“I recognize the Governor of Lagos State who by my own assessment is the Governor General of Nigeria. I say so for a very good reason. It is not a question of age of the occupant of that office or his tenure. It is simply an attestation to the fact that the economy of Lagos is about the summation of the economies of thirty States in Nigeria. One will be deceiving himself not to recognize that fact,” Aregbesola said.
He commended Governor Ambode for his commitment to economic integration and development of south west which requires concrete steps for its actualisation for the people’s benefit..
“The only state with the clout and the muzzle to shun collaboration and integration superficially is Lagos and that too will be to its eternal regret because if the adjoining states to Lagos are underdeveloped, the consequence on Lagos is tragic. If it requires trekking from any part of the region to get to Lagos, people will do it and Lagos will have a huge number of internally displaced people who you cannot send away because they speak the same language with you anyway.
“Even going national, there is no tribe or section of the country that is not properly represented in Lagos. So, if people come from as far North as Biu to Lagos, what more of Ikole, Ipetumodu and Arigidi. People will move and Lagos will have unending challenge of at least catering for their municipal needs. So, it is in the interest of Lagos as it is in the interest of other states to pursue with vigor this clamor for effective integration of not only our economy, but our political, social, commercial and educational relationship, among others,” Aregbesola said.
He added that it was only through integration that the region could take maximum advantage of its comparative competitiveness.
Comments are closed.